Soriano powers Rangers past Orioles

BALTIMORE - Alfonso Soriano homered, had three hits and drove in two runs, leading the Texas Rangers to a 4-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night that stopped a five-game losing streak.

Joaquin Benoit (2-1) blanked Baltimore on four hits over five innings in his second start of the season. The first came last Wednesday, when he allowed six runs in five innings in a loss to the New York Yankees.

Francisco Cordero, the fifth Texas pitcher, worked the ninth for his 23rd save, getting Miguel Tejada to hit into a game-ending double play,

It was a bad night for Baltimore in more ways than one. Not only did the Orioles extend their losing streak to six games, tying a season high, but they also lost a possible addition to a struggling offense that stranded 10 runners and has scored more than five runs only once since the All-Star break.

During the game, Baltimore learned that San Diego Padres first baseman Phil Nevin blocked a proposed trade that would have sent him to the Orioles for pitcher Sidney Ponson. Nevin had the right to reject a deal to eight teams, including Baltimore.

"He just decided that ... family factors, personal factors, took precedent over baseball factors," said Nevin's agent, Barry Axelrod. "He wants to remain a part of San Diego and the ballclub. He's always wanted to be in San Diego."

Jay Gibbons homered, and Melvin Mora had three hits for the Orioles, who dropped to two games over .500 (50-48) for the first time since April 21.

Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera (8-8) pitched five innings, giving up three runs, three hits and a career-high seven walks.

After Benoit left, Jay Gibbons hit his 15th homer on the second pitch from Ron Mahay, and Larry Bigbie added a run-scoring groundout to bring the Orioles to 3-2 in the sixth.

But that was the extent of the Baltimore offense, which failed to benefit from the return of catcher Javy Lopez, who spent two months on the disabled list with a broken hand. Lopez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

The Rangers made it 4-2 in the eighth when Soriano singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez.

Texas went up 1-0 in the third, thanks to Cabrera's wildness - and a mental lapse by the right-hander. After Gary Matthews Jr. walked and was caught stealing, Cabrera walked three straight to load the bases. Mark Teixeira followed with a grounder to first, and Cabrera was late covering the base on the back end of a potential double play, allowing a run to score.

Soriano hit his 25th homer leading off the fourth, and Baltimore left the bases loaded in the bottom half.

The Rangers made it 3-0 in the fifth. Cabrera issued a pair of two-out walks before Soriano blooped an RBI single to right.

Devil Rays 4, Red Sox 3 (10)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays matched their longest winning streak of the season with their fourth straight victory, beating Curt Schilling and the Boston Red Sox on Aubrey Huff's two-out RBI double in the 10th inning.

Jorge Cantu scored from first base when the game-winning hit off Schilling (2-4) soared over right fielder Trot Nixon's head and bounced off the wall to end Boston's first extra-inning game of the season.

Jesus Colome (2-2) pitched 2 1/3 innings for the win as Tampa Bay, which swept Baltimore over the weekend, improved to 8-3 since the All-Star break. Boston's lead in the AL East shrunk to one game over second-place New York.

The Red Sox set a major league record to start a season by not playing extra-innings until their 99th game.

Schilling pitched a perfect ninth before giving up a leadoff single to Carl Crawford in the 10th. Cantu reached on a fielder's choice, bunting into a force play.

Red Sox starter David Wells, who hasn't to lost the Devil Rays since 1999, allowed three runs and nine hits over 6 1-3 innings.

He was lifted after giving up one-out singles to Toby Hall and Nick Green, and reliever Mike Timlin was unable to keep Tampa Bay from tying the game.

Julio Lugo's RBI single off Timlin wiped out a 3-2 lead the Red Sox took on Johnny Damon's two-run homer off Travis Harper in the top of the seventh. Bill Mueller drove in Boston's first run with a second-inning RBI single off Devil Rays starter Doug Waechter.

The Devil Rays tied it 1-all on Hall's sacrifice fly in the second after wasting an opportunity to get off to a quick start when Wells gave up a double to Lugo and single to Crawford to begin the game.

Wells escaped the jam by striking out Cantu and Jonny Gomes and getting Huff to ground out to end the inning. Huff singled with one out in the fourth and scored when Damon Hollins doubled to left-center for a 2-1 lead.

Home runs have been a problem for Waechter, particularly at Tropicana Field where he's given up 27 in 110 career innings. But he kept the potent Red Sox in check, allowing four singles and a double before leaving with two outs in the fifth.

Waechter was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day after being sidelined since June 29 with tendinitis in his right index finger. He allowed one run and five hits in 5 2-3 innings, departing with a 2-1 lead.

Harper replaced Chad Orvella with a 2-0 count on Tony Graffanino, who eventually walked with one out in the seventh. Damon followed with his seventh homer on a towering fly ball that struck the right field foul pole to put the Red Sox ahead 3-2.

Harper had not allowed a run 12 innings over seven outings since yielding nine in just two-thirds of an inning against the Yankees on June 21. Damon is 2-for-10 lifetime against the right-hander, but both of those hits were home runs.